Pick a hand, any hand...

Just thought of something else I want to share with you today. During the two weeks we recently spent in the States, there were so many snapshot moments I tried to engrave in my mind and my heart. Since we don’t know when we’ll next be able to return to the States, it seemed as though all the “little” things suddenly took on a new level of importance. Today’s blog isn’t about Nicaragua, it’s about thanking God for His loving care and provision. You know that phrase, “the devil’s in the details”? Well, today, I want to rebut that statement and say that our God is in the details…we just have to open our eyes and our heart to His presence. God let me know He was ministering to my heart when He gave me all kinds of special gifts during our time home. Here are just a few:

• Our 7 month old grandson, Jeremiah, responded to our greetings with the sweetest smile when we first saw him after 3 months of separation
• Our other grandchildren, Maddie, Sam and Ben let me just hug and love on them whenever and wherever the mood hit me…even in the middle of Wal-Mart…and not one time, did they act embarrassed or push me away
• The peaceful quiet of early mornings at Mandy and Jack’s…I didn’t hear one rooster crow or one car horn honk
• Hearing James preach again “in the flesh” and worshiping corporately in our home church
• Getting lots of kisses from roly poly boxer puppies
• Playing card games on the floor with the grandkids
• Watching Mandy water her garden…”only 5 more trees”
• Just spending time with all of our family
• Eating scrumptious home cooked meals with lots of fresh produce and sweet desserts!...thank you so much Bill and Lea, Lone Star Baptist Church, my Sunday school class and Mandy and Maddie
• Giving and getting tight-don’t-want-to-let-go-goodbye-hugs with both my girls, Mandy and Sadie
• The checkerboard pattern of the farms below as we flew out of XNA airport
• Being handed a financial donation

“How tasteless,” you might think in regards to the last item on the list. But this is something I have to share with you. By telling you about someone who gave to us financially, I am going against a decision Jim and I made, but we are both in agreement this story needs to be told and we think God would approve. Neither of us is comfortable with the posting of the names of those who give to our ministry nor do we believe in mentioning amounts given. And actually, unless the financial gift has been given directly to us or Mandy has been given explicit instructions to pass that info on, we don’t know who has given, who hasn’t or any figures…and that’s the way we want to keep it.

I hesitate to even write this as I don't want to come across as unappreciative. Please, believe me, it’s not for lack of appreciation on our part. We most certainly do appreciate every one of you who supports us in our efforts here. And we know that many of you are generous in your giving and many of you are faithful and there are even those who are both. We are blessed through you and we pray to be good stewards with those funds and to be a blessing to others in return. But the reason we’ve chosen to stay in the dark about certain details on the financial giving aspect is we don’t want to be drawn in to the dangerous waters of comparison, favoritism or the judging of the amount of the gift. I wish I could tell you that wouldn’t happen and I would like to think it wouldn’t…but neither Jim nor I are willing to be put to that particular test. So, we have chosen to follow a form of what Jesus said in Matthew 6:3-4: “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” We want to be the uninformed left hand and we want you to be rewarded by our Father in heaven.

Now, that being said…let me tell you about one of our financial supporters and how she revealed herself to me. Our first Sunday back at First Baptist, Barbie Ray and I were talking. She was telling me that Elizabeth (age 4) and her little brother, Jackson (I’m guessing around 2 or so) usually get a can of pop when they go to Wal-Mart. Barbie will give them each a quarter and the kids get their own sodas. She told me that she and Curtis had been telling the kids about missions and what Jim and I are doing and asked Elizabeth if she would like to help support that. Elizabeth apparently had to think about it long and hard and finally decided she would but she really hated to give up her Wally World treat. Under-standably so…she’s 4 years old. I laughed and told Barbie that was so sweet but that I didn’t want to see Elizabeth lose her pop and that the thought was enough. Truthfully, I didn’t think much more of it.

After services our last Sunday evening at church, the night before we were getting ready to fly back to Managua, I was trying to catch up with Bobbie Heinz - never did catch you, Bobbie, you were out the door like a shot! I ran in to some other folks in the foyer that I wanted to visit with for a minute. As I was standing there talking with Geneva Hicks and Laurie Strickland, all of a sudden I felt a tug on the hem of my blouse. I looked down and there stood Elizabeth Ray with all the sobriety and dignity a 4 year old can muster. She was holding up a quarter to me and she said, “Here, this is for you.” I held out my hand and she lay the quarter in my palm. And off she ran. I looked at the quarter, looked at Geneva, looked at Laurie and proceeded to burst in to tears. I caught up with little Miss Elizabeth, gave her a hug and thanked her…”That’s okay,” was her reply.

You probably think that was a sweet story…it is but it’s more than that. That was truly sacrificial giving. That giving cost Elizabeth something. She had to make a decision whether to give a quarter or to receive a soda. I knew she had to make the choice to bypass her treat of a soda pop from Wal-Mart. And that precious little 4 year old chose to give. Not many 4 year olds would do that…as a matter of fact, not many 40 year olds would give that sacrificially. After all, the stakes get bigger as we get older, don’t they? I don’t know that scripture allows us a loophole on age or circumstances. I don’t know the last time I was humbled to the degree I was with that one act of having a quarter pressed in to my palm. How I wish I had such a sacrificial, giving heart. When did I quit having the spirit of a 4 year old? When was the last time I was willing to give it all?

Elizabeth didn’t give so she could see her name in print or be recognized for an impressive figure – although now, both will most likely occur. She didn't give because she thought it would help with her taxes at the end of the year. That's the beauty of being four...she's not concerned with tax deductions or write-offs. She gave because she knew it was what Jesus wanted her to do. She didn’t finagle or rationalize how she could keep part of it, she didn’t justify not giving by the depth of her own thirst or desire…she just gave. “Big deal,” you might think. It was. It was a big deal to Elizabeth, a big deal to us and it’s a big deal to Jesus, too. Who knows how God is going to use that quarter and who knows how He is going to reward His child? This was one instance this left hand was pleased to know what the right hand was doing.